Conquering Sugar Cravings – Part 1

Over the past few weeks I have often referred to the 'blood sugar rollercoaster' as we discussed the importance of maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.Cravings for sugar are a big part of the vicious cycle. Giving in to these cravings can be the start of a vicious circle where the next 'fix' leads to more intense 'highs' and subsequently to lower 'troughs'! Dealing with all the emotional and physical issues from ADD/ADHD is not something to be ignored by staying on the rollercoaster. Avoiding sugar cravings, and properly managing them when they do occur, should therefore be one of your highest nutritional priorities.

Examples to Handle Sugar Cravings:

Make sure that you are 'powered up' throughout the day: It is vitally important that you do not get to the stage where you are so famished that you will eat whatever crosses your path! The golden rule that you should always remember in this regard is: Less food, more often! Do not skip a meal and include snacks that are small with the nutrition needed without the excess sugar. Doing will help maintain a steady flow of energy and prevent your body from going to 'panic stations' in order to get more glucose into the bloodstream.

Carefully monitor portion sizes: Study after study have shown that most of us will always attempt to clear out plates, no matter how ridiculously big that plate may be! Basically, we tend to eat most of what is on our plate. Therefore, the more food on the plate, the more you will consume! Eating big portions regularly is an almost 'fool proof' recipe for sugar rushes (and lethargy to boot). A large quantity of glucose (sugar) is released into the blood stream after the body breaks down all the food consumed that is not needed. This spike will typically last for only a short time, leaving you deflated and, amazingly enough, hungry! Cutting your serving sizes is highly helpful. Just by ordering smaller meals when out, using smaller plates, and getting your own food can help you succeed.

Eliminate sugary drinks: Most medical experts regard our culture's near addiction to sugary soft drinks with alarm. Drinking a soda or other similar drink with 10 teaspoons of sugar is never looked at as a bowl of sugar in the same quantity! Flooding your system with huge amounts of sugar is almost guaranteed to result in a massive energy spike. Avoidance of soft drinks high in sugar might be the best thing for you. Even artificially sweetened drinks should be approached with care, as people react in different ways to the chemical used to artificially sweeten beverages. In some cases drinking 'diet' varieties can even be directly responsible for cravings. Not exactly the kind of thing that you would expect from a product that you use as a means of limiting sugar intake!

Try to include some protein on your breakfast menu: In the Egg Marketing Board once had a marketing campaign that centered around the slogan 'Go to work on an egg'! These are really solid methods in handling sugar cravings. Including protein in your breakfast meal could help avoid sugar cravings as research has chosen that the absence of the needed protein can bring about the cravings.

Eat chromium rich foods: Studies have shown that chromium can limit the effects of sugar rushes. If you go through a really tough patch as far as sugar cravings are concerned, it would be good to switch to a chromium rich diet for a while. Examples of chromium rich foods are mushrooms, peanuts and whole grains.

Add some spices to your food: There are some spices (notably cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves) that have proven to be quite helpful in reducing sugar cravings, which can lead to help for adhd symptoms. Think of a few dishes that will be well complemented by these spices and be sure to add them next time!

Be careful with fruit juices: It is generally better to drink fruit juices than sugary soft drinks. This does not mean however that you can drink unlimited quantities. Fruit juices contain (natural) sugars and can certainly cause a sugar spike if you drink too much. The big problem in this regard is that a regular glass of fruit juice will often contain the equivalent of several of the fruit in question. Decreasing the amount of fruit juice consumed can be done by drinking out of smaller glasses. It would be even better if you eat the fruit and drink water instead!

From what has been discussed, realize that sugar does not have to control your life. You can manage it and conquer it! Next week we will continue our look at some of the best ways to do exactly this, and it can go a long way to help coping with adult add adhd.

My name is Jon Bennett and I am the author of the world-wide best selling book, "3 Steps To Conquering ADD". I have prepared 4 Videos that show you how to eliminate your ADD ADHD Naturally. I have also created an ADD ADHD Test (self-test). To Claim your free videos and test go here --> http://AddADhdHelp.com . Have a focused day! 🙂 Jon Bennett